Marathon Petroleum Company named 2011 Wings Over Wetlands winner

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 16, 2011)—Ducks Unlimited and the Wildlife Habitat Council recognized Marathon Petroleum Company LP as the winner of the 2011 Wings Over Wetlands award.

MPC was honored for its efforts to restore agricultural lands to functioning wetlands in southeast Illinois. Through restoration and management efforts, MPC was able to restore wetlands located in the Lincoln Trail College Nature Area and improve habitat conditions for waterfowl.

"Ducks Unlimited congratulates Marathon Petroleum Company on its selection as the 2011 Wings Over Wetlands winner and applauds its wetlands restoration efforts," DU Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt said. "It is important we highlight companies that are good stewards of the land, and we encourage more corporations to do the same."

DU and WHC created the Wings Over Wetlands award in 2007 to encourage corporate participation in wetlands stewardship and to recognize corporations that have excelled in restoring, conserving and managing wetland habitats on their sites. Wetlands conservation and restoration projects are among the most productive conservation efforts a corporate habitat program can undertake. These projects provide immediate benefits to waterfowl, plant communities, amphibians and a host of other wildlife species.

"Marathon Petroleum Company's Illinois Refining Division has been a member of the Wildlife Habitat Council for many years. Partnering with the Lincoln Trail Foundation, we were excited to have the opportunity to expand our Lincoln Trail College Nature Area to include a wetlands project," said Ray Brooks, MPC's refining division manager in the Illinois Refining Division. "Working directly with Ducks Unlimited was instrumental in the quality and sustainability of this project. We are very proud of this award and the fact that, with the help of Ducks Unlimited and the Wildlife Habitat Council, this wetlands restoration and management project is a success."

Illinois is located in the Mississippi Flyway, which is more than 2,300 miles long and encompasses a watershed of more than 1.5 million square miles.

"This region is one of the most heavily used migration corridors for waterfowl and other birds," DU Chief Scientist Dale Humburg said. "Not only will the restored wetlands expand waterfowl habitat, but they will also benefit a variety of other wildlife."

Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres, thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. Visit www.ducks.org for more information.

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